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Camellia polyodonta flowers are rich sources of phenolics and less attention has been paid to their potential biological activity. This study aims to explore the crude extracts and resulting purified fractions (CPFP-I, II, III, and IV) through compositional analysis and antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities in vitro and in vivo. Among four fractions, CPFP-II contained the highest total phenolic content and flavonoid content, while CPFP-III exhibited the greatest total proanthocyanidin content. Among the 14 phenolic compounds, CPFP-II displayed the highest content of procyanidin B2, B4, and C1, whereas CPFP-III contained the highest amount of 1,2,3,6-tetragalloylglucose. The DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assessments demonstrated a consistent trend: CPFP-II > CPFP-III > CPFP-I > CPFP-IV. In vivo experiments showed that that all four fractions significantly reduced lipid levels in hyperlipidemic C. elegans (p < 0.05), with CPFP-II exhibiting the most potent effect. Furthermore, CPFP-II effectively bound to bile acids and inhibited the enzymatic activity of pancreatic lipase in vitro. Consequently, CPFP-II should be prioritized as a promising fraction for further exploration and should provide substantial support for the feasibility of the C. polyodonta flower as a natural alternative.

Camellia oleifera oil (CO oil) extracted from C. oleifera seeds has a 2300-year consumption history in China. However, there is relatively little research regarding its non-edible uses. This study determined the physicochemical properties of CO oil extracted via direct pressing, identified its main components using GC-MS, and evaluated its antioxidant, moisturizing, and anti-inflammatory activities. The results revealed that CO oil’s acid, peroxide, iodine, and saponification values were 1.06 ± 0.031 mg/g, 0.24 ± 0.01 g/100 g, 65.14 ± 8.22 g/100 g, and 180.41 ± 5.60 mg/g, respectively. CO oil’s tocopherol, polyphenol, and squalene contents were 82.21 ± 9.07 mg/kg, 181.37 ± 3.76 mg/kg, and 53.39 ± 6.58 mg/kg, respectively; its unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) content was 87.44%, and its saturated fatty acid (SFA) content was 12.56%. CO oil also demonstrated excellent moisture retention properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and certain free radical scavenging. A highly stable CO oil emulsion with competent microbiological detection was developed using formulation optimization. Using CO oil in the emulsion significantly improved the formulation’s antioxidant and moisturizing properties compared with those of the emulsion formulation that did not include CO oil. The prepared emulsion was not cytotoxic to cells and could reduce cells’ NO content; therefore, it may have potential nutritional value in medicine and cosmetics.

Aging is a major international concern that brings formidable socioeconomic and healthcare challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the positive effect of Camellia oleifera oil (CO) on the lifespan of C. elegans through transcriptome and metabolome analysis. The results demonstrated that CO direct significantly increased the lifespan and mean lifespan to 25.00 and 18.43 d, respectively, compared to the control group (15.95 d). Moreover, CO supplementation significantly improved the healthspan of C. elegans. Additionally, CO altered the transcription levels of genes involved in longevity regulating pathway and activated stress resistance pathway and influenced the levels of metabolic biomarkers related to galactose metabolism. Additionally, CO significantly reduced the content of ROS and MDA in C. elegans by 21.54% and 42.40%, respectively. Together, the study highlights the potential of CO in promoting lifespan and improving the health status, which shall facilitate its further development in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The water-soluble polysaccharides from plants have attracted ever-increasing attention in the field of food and drug due to their various activities and low toxicity. CBP50-1, as a purified fraction of polysaccharide from the rhizome of Cibotium barometz (CBP), mainly consisted of glucose (55.45%) and xylose (25.27%). CBP50-1 showed excellent antioxidant activity for scavenging 2,2‑Diphenyl‑1‑picryl‑hydrazy (DPPH) radical and hydroxyl radical, further inhibiting lipid peroxidation. CBP50-1 significantly improved the survival rate of Caenorhabditis elegans under thermal and oxidative stress. Furthermore, CBP50-1 reduced the paralysis and oxidative damage induced by amyloid-beta (Aβ) and increased the antioxidant enzyme activity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model C. elegans CL4176 through c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathway. Thus, CBP50-1 had a potential application in health industries.

Camellia oleifera Abel. is an economically important woody oil plant native to China. To explore the genetic diversity of wild C. oleifera phenotypic traits and effectively protect these germplasm resources, this study provides a thorough evaluation of the phenotypic variability of a cluster of 143 wild C. oleifera germplasm resources. A total of 41 characters, including leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and oil quality characters, were investigated based on the quantization of physical and chemical descriptors and digital image analysis. The findings revealed significant variations among the 41 characters with a high range of Shannon–Wiener indexes (H′) from 0.07 to 2.19. The coefficient of variation (CV) among 32 quantitative characters ranged from 5.34% to 81.31%, with an average of 27.14%. High genetic diversity was also detected among the 143 germplasm. Based on the analysis of hierarchical clustering, 143 accessions were separated into six categories. All the individuals can be clearly distinguished from each other according to the result of the principal component analysis (PCA). The M-TOPSIS exhaustive evaluation method based on correlation and PCA analyses of 32 quantitative characters was applied for the 143 wild C. oleifera accessions, and the top 10 varieties were identified as YA53, YA13, YA40, YA34, YA57, YA19, YA33, YA41, DZ8, and YA7. This research optimized the germplasm evaluation system and perfected the statistical phenotypic traits for distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing. Some top-notch germplasm sources were also screened for oil-tea Camellia breeding.

Litsea pungens is a plant with medicinal and edible properties, where the fruits are edible and the leaves have medicinal properties. However, there is limited research on the chemical and pharmacological activities of the plant. In this study, essential oils were extracted by steam distillation and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities were further evaluated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was used to identify the chemical components of L. pungens fresh fruit essential oil (FREO) and L. pungens fresh flower essential oil (FLEO), rapeseed oil (RO) and commercial Litsea oil (CEO). The results showed that 12 chemical components were identified in FREO. Twelve chemical components were identified from FLEO, four chemical components were identified from CEO, and thirteen chemical components were identified from RO. Except for RO, the other three oils were mainly composed of terpenes, among which limonene is the main chemical component. In terms of antioxidant activity, FREO, FLEO, CEO and RO have antioxidant capacity, mainly reflected in the scavenging DPPH free radicals and the iron ion chelating ability, and the antioxidant activity shows a certain dose effect, but the antioxidant activity of FLEO is the weakest among the four oils. Meanwhile, under the stress of hydrogen peroxide, CEO demonstrated a significant antioxidant protective effect on cells. It is worth mentioning that compared with the positive control, the FREO exhibited a better antibacterial rate. When the concentration of essential oil is 20 mg/mL, the bacteriostatic rate can reach 100%. Therefore, it could be a promising candidate among medicinal and edible plants.

Camellia oil (CO) is a high medicinal and nutritional value edible oil. However, its ability to alleviate fat accumulation in high-fat Caenorhabditis elegans has not been well elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of CO on fat accumulation in high-fat C. elegans via transcriptome and metabolome analysis. The results showed that CO significantly reduced fat accumulation in high-fat C. elegans by 10.34% (Oil Red O method) and 11.54% (TG content method), respectively. Furthermore, CO primarily altered the transcription levels of genes involved in longevity regulating pathway. Specifically, CO decreased lipid storage in high-fat C. elegans by inhibiting fat synthesis. In addition, CO supplementation modulated the abundance of metabolic biomarkers related to pyrimidine metabolism and riboflavin metabolism. The integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses indicated that CO supplementation could alleviate fat accumulation in high-fat C. elegans by regulating retinol metabolism, drug metabolism—cytochrome P450, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and pentose and glucuronate interconversions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential health benefits of CO that could potentially be used as a functional edible oil.

There are enormous benefits of olive cultivation in China. However, rare researches are reported about the morphological and oil qualitative characteristics of the introduced olive cultivars in southwest China. The characteristics of morphological and oil qualitative were investigated among seven introduced olive cultivars and an indigenous cultivar cultivated in southwest China. The results elucidated that all cultivars had adapted to a new environment and expressed unique characteristics. The Coratina, Koroneiki and Grossanne remained excellent oil cultivars with the fresh oil content of 20.42, 18.58 and 16.46%, respectively. The free acidity and peroxide value of olive oil were within the range of the extra virgin olive oil category. And the extracted olive oil was rich in unsaturated fatty acid, α-tocopherol, squalene, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol and phenolic compounds. Moreover, the olive cultivated in southwest China exhibited a higher content of moisture, oleic acid and unsaturated fatty acid compared to scientific studies. Therefore, the region of southwest China (Jintang), a new environment, was a potential for cultivation and development of olive in the future. In addition, the results can provide theoretical guidance for olive planting and cultivar selection in southwest China.

The chemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts (POE) of Penicillium oxalate isolated from Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort have been investigated. However, the biological activity of POE is limited, and its antioxidant, stress resistance and DNA protection effects in vivo are unclear. The current study aims to explore the beneficial effects of POE on DNA damage protection in pBR322 plasmid and lymphocytes and stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that POE increased the survival rate of C. elegans under 35°C, UV and H2O2 stress, attenuated ROS and MDA accumulation, and enhanced the activity of some important enzymes (SOD, CTA, and GSH-PX). In addition, the POE-mediated stress resistance involved the upregulation of the expression of the sod-3, sod-5, gst-4, ctl-1, ctl-2, daf-16, hsp-16.1, hsp-16.2, and hsf-1 genes and acted dependently on daf-16 and hsf-1 rather than skn-1. Moreover, POE also reduced lipofuscin levels, but did not prolong the lifespan or damage the growth, reproduction and locomotion of C. elegans. Furthermore, POE showed a protective effect against DNA scission in the pBR322 plasmid and lymphocytes. These results suggested that P. oxalate extracts have significant anti-stress and DNA protection potential and could be potential drug candidates in the pharmaceutical field, thus greatly broadening the understanding of the biological effects of the endophytic fungus P. oxalate.

In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenols from C. cicadae was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized conditions were determined as extraction time of 39 min, liquid-to-solid ratio of 1:29 g/mL, extraction temperature of 69 °C and ethanol concentration of 55% with a yield of 21.9 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight. Four resins were used for polyphenol purification. D101 resin had the highest ratio of adsorption and was further applied in polyphenol purification test. A total of 19 different phenolic compounds were identified by LC-MS, including 12 phenolic acids and 7 organic acids. In addition, C. cicadae polyphenols displayed higher antioxidant activity in vitro and anti-aging activity of C. elegans in vivo. Lastly, C. cicadae polyphenols showed the potential to protect DNA from oxidative damage. Overall, our results suggest that polyphenols from C. cicadae may be considered as novel sources of anti-oxidation, anti-aging and recommended as reagents to protect DNA from oxidative damage in food and pharmaceutical industries.

The polysaccharides from C. cicadae were extracted by ultrasonically-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE). Response surface analysis was used to determine the optimum parameters as follows: addition of enzymes, 0.71%; extraction temperature, 60°C; extraction time, 18 min; liquid-solid ratio, 46:1 (mL/g). The extraction yield of polysaccharide was 3.66 ± 0.87%. A novel polysaccharide fraction (JCH-a1) from C. cicadae was extracted and then purified by cellulose DEAE-32 and Sephadex G-100 anion exchange chromatography. The analysis results showed that the molar ratio of galactose, glucose, and mannose in JCH-a1 cells (60.7 kDa) was 0.89:1:0.39. JCH-a1 with a triple helix contains more α-glycosides and has strong thermal stability. Moreover, JCH-a1 showed strong antioxidant activity and acted as a strong inhibitor of α-glucosidase in vitro. In addition, JCH-a1 can prolong the lifespan of C. elegans. The present study might provide a basis for further study of JCH-a1 as an antioxidant and hypoglycemic food or drug.

In the last decade, with a growing emphasis on healthy diets, functional edible oils with high nutritional quality are becoming increasingly popular around the world. This study systematically compared the chemical composition and protective effect of 22 vegetable oils using multivariate chemometric tools. The results showed that the fatty acid composition and minor compounds were extremely variable among tested oils. Hierarchical cluster and principal component analysis discriminated these oils according to the tocopherol and phytosterol contents. The Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that in vitro radical scavenging capacity was significantly correlated to polyphenol, tocopherol, and squalene. Additionally, the ameliorate effects on the heat and oxidative stress, ROS contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured in Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that the antioxidant activity and stress resistance were positively correlated to polyphenol, tocopherol, phytosterol, MUFA, and PUFA, respectively. This study may offer an insight into oil discrimination and functional oil exploitation.

Blumea was the resource for medicine such as l-borneol showing a great economic value. Interestingly, Blumea laciniata was widely used as a folk medicine in south of China and Asia. But the chemical compounds and specific pharmacological activity were rarely reported. Therefore, in this present work, the chemical components from B. laciniata were determined and the antioxidant ability on scavenging radicals and the protection on Hela cells against H2O2 were evaluated. The results showed the antioxidant ability was associated with the presence of polyphenols via response surface method. Additionally, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, rutin, luteolin-4′-O-glucoside and cinnamic acid were firstly identified in B. laciniata. Moreover, the extract from B. laciniata (EBL) showed a strong antioxidant on clearing DPPH and ABTS free radicals with a lower EC50. Besides, EBL showed no toxicity on Hela cells and even could protect cells from H2O2 induced damage by sharply reducing the excessive reactive oxygen species, improving the mitochondrial membrane potential and then decreasing the generation of cell apoptosis. These outcomes could provide a promising understanding on the potential antioxidant.

Alsophila spinulosa is a tree-like fern, and many evidences suggested that plant polyphenols had the potential therapeutic for Alzheimer s disease (AD). Herein, polyphenols (ASP) was isolated from A. spinulosa leaves and its major constituent were isoorientin and vitexin. ASP displayed excellent antioxidant activity and obvious anti-lipid peroxidation capacity in vitro. ASP improved the survival rate of C. elegans under high temperature by enhancing the antioxidant enzymes activities and decreasing the lipid peroxidation level. Moreover, ASP alleviated β-amyloid (Aβ) induced paralysis and reduced Aβ deposition, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and improved the level of skn-1 mRNA. In addition, ASP decreased the levels of pdk-1 and akt-1 mRNA in P13K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, ASP may be a potential ingredient for the alleviation of AD.

Plant polysaccharides exhibit many biological activities that are remarkably affected by molecular size and structures. This study aimed to investigate the degradation effect of ultrasonic-assisted Fenton reaction on the Panax notoginseng polysaccharide (PP). PP and its three degradation products (PP3, PP5, and PP7) were obtained from optimized hot water extraction and different Fenton reaction treatments, respectively. The results showed that the molecular weight (Mw) of the degraded fractions significantly decreased after treatment with the Fenton reaction. But the backbone characteristics and conformational structure were similar between PP and PP-degraded products, which was estimated by comparing monosaccharides composition, functional group signals in FT-IR spectra, X-ray differential patterns, and proton signals in 1H NMR. In addition, PP7, with an Mw of 5.89 kDa, exhibited stronger antioxidant activities in both the chemiluminescence-based and HHL5 cell-based methods. The results indicated that ultrasonic-assisted Fenton degradation might be used to improve the biological activities of natural polysaccharides by adjusting the molecular size.

The fruit shells of Camellia oleifera are a by-product on the Camellia oleifera industry without sufficient utilization. In this work, the ultrasound-assistant extraction process was optimized by response surface methodology. Then the physicochemical properties and antioxidant potential were evaluated. The results showed that the highest yield of polysaccharides was 12.94 ± 0.10% under the optimal condition. The polysaccharides of these fruit shells (CFP) contained 88.04 ± 1.46% of polysaccharides and the molecular weight was 8.74 × 104 Da mainly composed by xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose with the ratio of 43.54: 6.83: 34.94: 14.19. Moreover, CFP could well scavenge free radicals, and protect cells against oxidative damage induced by H2O2. In addition, CFP also increased the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans under thermal stress by activating DAF-16 transcription factor then stimulating the expression of superoxide dismutase. The results in this work elucidated CFP possessed a strong antioxidant potential in vitro and in vivo. Considering the big development trend of Camellia oleifera industry in China, thousands of tons of shells are produced therefore, they can be developed into a promising natural antioxidant, extending the industrial chain.

As one of the most important crops for oil, olive (Olea europaea L.) is well-known worldwide for its commercial product “virgin olive oil” containing high-content fatty acids and many secondary metabolites. The molecular mechanisms underlying the enhanced oil content in olive remain unclear. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms of olive oil biosynthesis, we selected two olive cultivars, i.e., Kalinjot (JZ) and Coratina (KLD), at three maturity stages (MI-1, MI-3, and MI-6) for transcriptomic analysis based on Nanopore sequencing. Significant differences were observed in oil content between JZ and KLD during three maturity stages. Enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in metabolic pathways of photosynthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, response to stress, and energy metabolism, in particular, fatty acid metabolism. A total of 170 (31.54% of 539 genes involved in oil synthesis) DEGs were further investigated based on expression analysis to identify their molecular functions in oil biosynthesis in olive. A co-expression network based on 714 transcription factors and their targeted genes in oil biosynthesis was constructed. Our study provided novel experimental evidence to investigate the molecular mechanisms of olive oil biosynthesis and to improve the breeding of olive varieties with enhanced oil contents.

The flowers, leaves, seed cakes and fruit shells of Camellia oleifera are rich in bioactive polysaccharides, which can be used as additives in food and other industries. In this study, a Box−Behnken design was used to optimize the extraction conditions of polysaccharides from C. oleifera flowers (P-CF), leaves (P-CL), seed cakes (P-CC), and fruit shells (P-CS). Under the optimized extraction conditions, the polysaccharide yields of the four polysaccharides were 9.32% ± 0.11 (P-CF), 7.57% ± 0.11 (P-CL), 8.69% ± 0.16 (P-CC), and 7.25% ± 0.07 (P-CS), respectively. Polysaccharides were mainly composed of mannose, rhamnose, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, and xylose, of which the molecular weights ranged from 3.31 kDa to 128.06 kDa. P-CC had a triple helix structure. The antioxidant activities of the four polysaccharides were determined by Fe2+ chelating and free radical scavenging abilities. The results showed that all polysaccharides had antioxidant effects. Among them, P-CF had the strongest antioxidant activity, of which the highest scavenging ability of DPPH•, ABTS•+, and hydroxyl radical could reach 84.19% ± 2.65, 94.8% ± 0.22, and 79.97% ± 3.04, respectively, and the best chelating ability of Fe2+ could reach 44.67% ± 1.04. Overall, polysaccharides extracted from different parts of C. oleifera showed a certain antioxidant effect, and could be developed as a new type of pure natural antioxidant for food.

With the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and clinical -acquired pathogenic infections, the development of quorum-sensing (QS) interfering agents is one of the most potential strategies to combat bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance. Chinese herbal medicines constitute a valuable bank of resources for the identification of QS inhibitors. Accordingly, in this research, some compounds were tested for QS inhibition using indicator strains. Paeonol is a phenolic compound, which can effectively reduce the production of violacein without affecting its growth in Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 12472, indicating its excellent anti-QS activity. This study assessed the anti-biofilm activity of paeonol against Gram-negative pathogens and investigated the effect of paeonol on QS-regulated virulence factors in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A Caenorhabditis elegans infection model was used to explore the anti-infection ability of paeonol in vivo. Paeonol exhibited an effective anti-biofilm activity against Gram-negative bacteria. The ability of paeonol to interfere with the AHL-mediated quorum sensing systems of P. aeruginosa was determined, found that it could attenuate biofilm formation, and synthesis of pyocyanin, protease, elastase, motility, and AHL signaling molecule in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, paeonol could significantly downregulate the transcription level of the QS-related genes of P. aeruginosa including lasI/R, rhlI/R, pqs/mvfR, as well as mediated its virulence factors, lasA, lasB, rhlA, rhlC, phzA, phzM, phzH, and phzS. In vivo studies revealed that paeonol could reduce the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa and enhance the survival rate of C. elegans, showing a moderate protective effect on C. elegans. Collectively, these findings suggest that paeonol attenuates bacterial virulence and infection of P. aeruginosa and that further research elucidating the anti-QS mechanism of this compound in vivo is warranted.

Bergenia emeiensis is a traditional folk medicine in China. Most studies are focusing on the bioactivity of bergenin, neglecting other compounds. Therefore, in this present work, the antioxidant, antibacterial and anticancer abilities of triterpenes from B. emeiensis rhizomes (TBE) were comprehensively evaluated. The results showed that TBE could well scavenge DPPH with a lower EC50 of 0.29 mg/mL and could improve the cell viability of CHO cells against H2O2 induced cell death. Additionally, TBE also enhanced the resistance of C. elegans under thermal stress, exhibiting a strong antioxidant potential in vivo. Moreover, TBE showed a certain antibacterial ability on five kind strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa while TBE could not significantly inhibit the growth of plant pathogenic fungi. Furthermore, TBE possessed an excellent suppression ability on the proliferation of cancer cells especially Hela and Hep G2 cells with an IC50 of 41.79 μg/mL and 48.62 μg/mL at 48 h, respectively. After fractionally extracted with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and ethanol, ethanol phase (EP) contained the most triterpenes, followed by ethyl acetate phase (EAP) and petroleum ether phase (PEP). Besides, EP and EAP exhibited a strong antioxidant capacity and also inhibited the proliferation of Hela and Hep G2 cells with the effect of pro-oxidation by inducing a high level of ROS and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, thus causing oxidative stress then inducing cell apoptosis. Therefore, these outcomes indicated the triterpenes from B. emeiensis possessed a strong antioxidant ability and an anticancer effect, thus making B. emeiensis become a promising potential alternative in pharmacological field.

Hydroxytyrosol (HY) deriving from olive leaves is a phenolic component which has been proven to possess a strong antioxidant ability. However, the underling mechanism is still unclear. To evaluate the antioxidant ability of HY comprehensively, assays in vitro and in vivo (Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) was used as a model organism) were conducted. The results showed HY could scavenge 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with a strong total reducing power. Pretreated with HY for 48 h, the cell viability of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was enhanced under oxidative stress by reducing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). A suitable concentration of HY showed no side effects on the development, fertility, and movement of C. elegans. With the treatment of HY, the survival was enhanced by 15.79% under thermal stress. The ROS and MDA contents were also reduced, which might be associated with the increasing abilities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and the heat shock protein HSP-16.2. Nuclear localization of DAF-16 was greatly increased after treated with HY. More outcomes demonstrated HY exhibited an excellent antioxidant capacity via the insulin signaling pathway by upregulating daf-16 and sod-3 and downregulating the genes of age-1 and daf-2.

Manganese (Mn) is now known to have a variety of toxicities, particularly when exposed to it in the workplace. However, there are still ineffective methods for reducing Mn’s hazardous effects. In this study, a new selenium polysaccharide (Se-PCS) was developed from the shell of Camellia oleifera to reduce Mn toxicity in vitro and in vivo. The results revealed that Se-PCS may boost cell survival in Hep G2 cells exposed to Mn and activate antioxidant enzyme activity, lowering ROS and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, after being treated with Se-PCS, Caenorhabditis elegans survived longer under Mn stress. daf-16, a tolerant critical gene, was turned on. Moreover, the antioxidant system was enhanced as the increase in strong antioxidant enzyme activity and high expression of the sod-3, ctl-2, and gst-1 genes. A variety of mutations were also used to confirm that Se-PCS downregulated the insulin signaling pathway. These findings showed that Se-PCS protected Hep G2 cells and C. elegans via the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway and that it could be developed into a promising medication to treat Mn toxicity.

Panax notoginseng is Traditional Chinese medicine and also a China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) approved food additive. In present study, we used Caenorhabditis elegans model to illustrate stress resistance and lifespan extension effect of a polysaccharide fraction form P. notoginseng (MRP5). Our data showed that MRP5 could significantly increase survival rate and markedly decreased ROS level of C. elegans under oxidative stress. Moreover, MRP5 could reduce the level of carbonyl protein and malondialdehyde of BA17 strain and extend lifespan of wild-type worms. The mechanism study revealed that MRP5 was able to promote the nuclear localization of DAF-16 resulting in the activation of antioxidant enzymatic systems. We also observed that MRP5 increased lifespan of daf-16 loss-of function mutant, suggesting MRP5-prolonged lifespan partially required daf-16 gene. Overall, our results illustrated the potential utilization of MRP5 as a functional food ingredient to delay aging.

Oleuropein (OLE) is a secoiridoid glycoside that mainly exists in olives with multifaceted health benefits. The present study aimed to investigate the stress resistance and lifespan extension effects of OLE in Caenorhabditis elegans. The results showed that OLE could significantly prolong the lifespan of C. elegans by 22.29%. Treatment with OLE also significantly increased the survival rates of worms against lethal heat shock and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, OLE supplementation increased the expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes and suppressed the generation of malondialdehyde in nematodes. In addition, the results from mutants implied that OLE might mediate longevity and stress resistance via DAF-16/FoxO, which played a vital role in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. To further identify the molecular targets of OLE, mRNA level and loss-of-function mutants of IIS-associated genes were investigated. The data revealed that OLE activated IIS by down-regulating the upstream components, daf-2 and age-1. Furthermore, another stress response and longevity pathway in parallel to DAF-16, SKN-1/Nrf2, was also shown to involve in OLE-induced beneficial effects. Collectively, these results provide the theoretical basis that OLE could enhance the stress resistance and increase the lifespan of C. elegans through the IIS and SKN-1/Nrf2 signaling pathways.

Blumea laciniata is widely used as a folk medicine in Asia, but relevant literature on it is rarely reported. We confirmed that polyphenol extract (containing chlorogenic acid, rutin, and luteolin-4-O-glucoside) from B. laciniata (EBL) showed strong antioxidant ability in vitro. Hence, in this work, we applied Caenorhabditis elegans to further investigate the antioxidant and anti-ageing abilities of EBL in vivo. The results showed that EBL enhanced the survival of C. elegans under thermal stress by 12.62% and sharply reduced the reactive oxygen species level as well as the content of malonaldehyde. Moreover, EBL increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase. Additionally, EBL promoted DAF-16, a transcription factor, into the nucleus. Besides, EBL extended the lifespan of C. elegans by 17.39%, showing an anti-ageing effect. Different mutants indicated that the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway participated in the antioxidant and anti-ageing effect of EBL on C. elegans.

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is the main bioactive compound in olive leaves. However, olive leaves contain a lower level of HT and the extraction process of HT was rarely optimized. In this study, compared with two extraction methods, ultrasound was found to have a positive effect on improving the yield of HT. Therefore, ultrasound was used to assist hydrolysis of hydrochloric acid to extract HT from olive leaves. Response surface method and macroporous resins were applied to optimize the extraction process as well as enrichment of HT. The results showed that ultrasonic extraction time had a significant effect on the yield and the optimal extraction conditions were obtained: ultrasonic time was 120 min, hydrochloric acid concentration was 1.60 mol/L and the liquid-to-material ratio was 60.00 mL/g. Under the optimal extraction condition, the yield of HT was 14.11 ± 0.12 mg/g. NKA-Ⅱ macroporous resin was proved to be a suitable resin to enrich HT from extraction solution. The optimal condition for enriching HY was 250 mL of loading solution at the flow rate of 1.5 mL/min with 40 mL volume of 75% ethanol–eluent at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The concentration of HT changed from 2.27% to 9.25% after enrichment by macroporous resin.

Oleuropein, a bitter substance that exists in olive leaves, can be hydrolyzed to hydroxytyrosol. These are the main phenolic compounds, and they have beneficial properties to human bodies. In this study, we established a simple and new method to determine oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol quickly by HPLC. HPLC conditions were set as follows: water (A) acetonitrile (B) as mobile phase, gradient elution orders: 90%A–10%B for 0–10 min, 80%A–20%B for 14–30 min, and then change to 90%A–10%B for 30–33 min; detection wavelength: 280 nm. Compared with other detection methods, the method simplified the elution procedure and shortened the time. Additionally, we provided a better drying method and preservation of olive leaves in tea drinking production that were air-dried at room temperature of 25 °C.

Camellia oleifera oil has attracted increasing attention due to its well-balanced composition. In this study, we evaluated the oil content and chemical composition of C. oleifera oil cultivated in southwest China. The results showed that the acid and peroxide values were in line with the optimal quality index of the national standard of China. Oleic acid was the most predominant and important fatty acid, which accounted for 80.34–86.18%. The α-tocopherol, polyphenols and squalene ranged from 112.36 to 410.46 mg/kg oil, 14.22 to 53.63 mg/kg oil and 14.80 to 52.49 mg/kg oil, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) results showed that the synthesis score of introduced cultivars (‘Changlin 3’, ‘Changlin 4’ and ‘Changlin 18’) was higher that the local cultivars (‘Chuanya 21’ and ‘Chuanlin 2’). This research demonstrated that the introduced C. oleifera could adapt to the environment and climate of southwest China and large-scale plant of these introduced cultivars. In addition, the C. oleifera oil rich in unsaturated fatty acid has enormous potential to become a kind of functional oil and possesses great prospects for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Natural plant resources with herbicidal activity may be substitutes for synthetic chemical pesticides, likewise aromatic plant extracts, especially essential oils. Essential oil from Litsea pungens has been proved to possess a strong antibacterial property. Interestingly, we found the essential oil also showed a strong allelopathic capacity. Therefore, in the present work, the chemical composition of the essential oil from the fruit of L. pungens was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The weed control abilities of the essential oil were also further evaluated. The results show that the yield of essential oil extracted by steam distillation was 1.4%, and 17 compounds, mainly terpenoids, were identified by GC–MS. In allelopathic tests, the essential oil exhibited a negative effect on seed germination rate and seedling growth of Lolium perenne and Bidenspilosa. Moreover, chlorophyll content, malondialdehyde content, electrolyte leakage, catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase of seedlings treated with essential oil were also negatively affected. This work could provide a better understanding of the rational utilization of L. pungens essential oil for crop cultivation and further development of environment-friendly herbicides.

China, as a contrary climate to the Mediterranean-climate region, is massive in planting olive (Olea europaea) cultivation as an important oil crop. Nonetheless, Chinese olive leaves have received little attention and there is little information about the phenols content. Therefore, in this study, a multiple-response optimization was performed to maximize the total phenolic and oleuropein content (TPC and OEC) by ultrasound-assisted extraction, and the aged and young leaves prepared from six Chinese cultivars from January to December were investigated concerning seven main phenolic composition. Under optimal conditions (power 260 W, time 10 min, liquid-solid ratio 30 mL/g, and 50% ethanol), the highest TPC (197.32 mg/g DM) and OEC (74.68 mg/g DM) were obtained. Findings revealed that the optimal olive leaves for phenolic compounds were the young leaves in spring and winter, being oleuropein and luteolin-4′-O-glucoside present in higher level, and the “Koroneiki” and “Jiufeng” cultivars were relatively stable. Furthermore, antioxidant potential of the phenol extract and oleuropein was also evaluated based on the reducing power and scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)and superoxide radical assays, and a higher antioxidant effect of oleuropein was observed compared to the phenol extract. In addition, oleuropein showed anticancer activity against HeLa cells, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (EC50) value of 0.19 mg/mL at 48 h. These findings revealed an attractive source of biological substances for further development and utilization of Chinese olive leaves.

Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla was a unique hybridization in China. However, the chemical and pharmacological properties were rarely reported. Therefore, in this work, we used a steam distillation method to obtain essential oils from leaves of E. grandis × E. urophylla, and further evaluated the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and phytotoxic potential of the essential oil. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to investigate the chemical composition of E. grandis × E. urophylla essential oil (EEO) and the results showed that the main components of EEO were monoterpenes followed by sesquiterpenes. Among them, α-pinene accounted about 17.02%. EEO could also well scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2, 2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radicals showing a good free radical clearance ability. In addition, EEO efficiently inhibited the growth of six kinds of bacteria as well as seven kinds of plant pathogens, especially Salmonella typhimurium and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. Moreover, the seedling germination of Raphanus sativus, Lactuca sativa, Lolium perenne, and Bidens pilosa was significantly suppressed by EEO, thus, indicating essential oils from eucalyptus possessed an excellent phytotoxic activity. This study may give a better understanding on EEO and provide a pharmacological activities analysis contributing to the further research of EEO as a functional drug in agronomic and cosmetic industries.

Polysaccharides from Bergenia emeiensis (PBE) showed a robust antioxidant ability on scavenging free radicals in vitro. However, the further antioxidant potential in cell level and in vivo was still unknown. Therefore, in this present study, the protective effect of PBE on human cervical carcinoma cell (Hela) cells and Caenorhabditis elegans against oxidative stress was evaluated. The results showed PBE could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in Hela cells and promote the mitochondrial membrane potential. Then, the cell apoptosis was reduced. Moreover, PBE could enhance the survival of C. elegans under thermal stress to 13.44%, and significantly reduce the ROS level, which was connected with the overexpression of sod-3 and the increased nuclear localization of daf-16 transcription factor. Therefore, PBE exhibited a strong antioxidant capacity in the cellular level and for a whole organism. Thus, polysaccharides from B. emeiensis have natural potential to be a safe antioxidant.

This study was the first designed to evaluate the extraction and antioxidant ability of triterpenes from Bergenia emeiensis rhizomes. The yield of triterpenes from B. emeiensis was mainly affected by the concentration of ethanol, followed by the extraction time, solvent to sample ratio, and the power of ultrasound. Thus, the response surface method was applied to investigate the interaction between the two factors and to optimize the extraction process. The optimal extraction conditions were 210 W, 75% ethanol, 40 min and 25 mL/g with a maximum yield of 229.37 ± 7.16 mg UAE/g. Moreover, the antioxidant ability of triterpenes from B. emeiensis (TBE) was evaluated by determining the scavenging capacity on free radicals and the protection on CHO cells and Caenorhabditis elegans against oxidative stress. The results showed the triterpenes could clear 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals well and had a strong reducing power. In addition, the survival of CHO cells was higher than that of the control group as a result of reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and promoting the activities of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, TBE could also enhance the survival of C. elegans under H2O2 conditions. Therefore, triterpenes from B. emeiensis could be developed into a beneficial potential for antioxidants.

Bergeniaemeiensis is a traditional herb in Chinese folk medicine. Most related studies are focused on the bioactivity of bergenin, neglecting other bioactive compounds. In our previous work, polysaccharides were identified in B. emeiensis rhizome. To evaluate the extraction process and the antioxidant ability of these polysaccharides, a response surface method and antioxidant assays were applied. The results showed that the yield of polysaccharides was highly affected by extraction time, followed by temperature and solvent-to-sample ratio. Under the optimal conditions (43 °C, 30 min and 21 mL/g), the yield was 158.34 ± 0.98 mg/g. After removing other impurities, the purity of the polysaccharides from B. emeiensis (PBE) was 95.97 ± 0.92%. The infrared spectrum showed that PBE had a typical polysaccharide structure. Further investigations exhibited the PBE could scavenge well DPPH and ABTS free radicals and chelate Fe2+, showing an excellent antioxidant capacity. In addition, PBE also enhanced the cell viability of HEK 239T and Hep G2 cells under acrylamide-exposure conditions, exhibiting great protection against the damage induced by acrylamide. Therefore, PBE can be considered a potential natural antioxidant candidate for use in the pharmaceutical industry as a health product.

Rosa banksiae Ait. (R. banksiae) is a traditional Chinese folk medicine and an ornamental plant. Most previous studies have focused on cultivation and utilization while there are few research papers on the pharmacological activity of R. banksiae. This study aimed to get a better understanding of R. banksiae by extracting polyphenols with fractionated extraction technology. The results showed that ethyl acetate phase (EAP) contained the most polyphenols, while water phase (WP) had the least. HPLC analysis indicated that rutin and luteolin-4′-O-glucoside existed in the EAP and butanol phase (BP), but quercetin was only detected in the EAP. Six phenolic compositions were not detected in WB. The antioxidant and anti-tumor abilities of the EAP and BP were excellent. The results revealed that R. banksiae possessed a great antioxidant capacity and was rich in polyphenols, thus indicating R. banksiae was suitable for being a natural antioxidant and an abundant source of polyphenols.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) frequently suffers in late spring from severe damage due to cold spells, which causes the block of chlorophyll biosynthesis during early rice seedling greening. However, the inhibitory mechanism by which this occurs is still unclear. To explore the responsive mechanism of rice seedlings to low temperatures during greening, the effects of chilling stress on chlorophyll biosynthesis and plastid development were studied in rice seedlings. Chlorophyll biosynthesis was obviously inhibited and chlorophyll accumulation declined under low temperatures during greening. The decrease in chlorophyll synthesis was due to the inhibited synthesis of δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and the suppression of conversion from protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) into chlorophylls (Chls). Meanwhile, the activities of glutamate-1-semialdehyde transaminase (GSA-AT), Mg-chelatase, and protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) were downregulated under low temperatures. Further investigations showed that chloroplasts at 18 °C had loose granum lamellae, while the thylakoid and lamellar structures of grana could hardly develop at 12 °C after 48 h of greening. Additionally, photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI) proteins obviously declined in the stressed seedlings, to the point that the PSII and PSI proteins could hardly be detected after 48 h of greening at 12 °C. Furthermore, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) and cell death were all induced by low temperature. Chilling stress had no effect on the development of epidermis cells, but the stomata were smaller under chilling stress than those at 28 °C. Taken together, our study promotes more comprehensive understanding in that chilling could inhibit chlorophyll biosynthesis and cause oxidative damages during greening.

The wild mushroom Lactarius deliciosus from China was studied for the first time to obtain information about its chemical composition, antioxidant, and antihyperglycemic activities. Nutritional value, dietary fiber, fatty acids, metal elements, free sugars, free amino acids, organic acids, flavor 5′-nucleotides, and volatile aroma compounds were determined. Potential antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activities were also tested by investigating 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radicals scavenging activities, ferric ion reducing activity, as well as α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities using ethanol and aqueous extracts. The results showed that L. deliciosus was a good wild mushroom with high protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber contents, while low in fat and calorie, extensive unsaturated fatty acids contents, with negligible health risks about harmful metal elements. Twenty kinds of free amino acids were detected with a total content 3389.45 mg per 100 g dw. Flavor 5′-nucleotides including 5′-CMP, 5′-UMP, 5′-IMP, and 5′-AMP were 929.85, 45.21, 311.75, and 14.49 mg per 100 g dw, respectively. Mannitol (7825.00 mg per 100 g dw) was the main free sugar, and quininic acid (729.84 mg per 100 g dw) was the main organic acid. Twenty-five kinds of volatile aroma compounds were identified, acids (84.23%) were the most abundant compounds based on content, while aldehydes (15 of 25) were the most abundant compounds based on variety. In addition, both ethanol and aqueous extracts from L. deliciosus exhibited excellent antioxidant activity. While in antihyperglycemic activity tests, only ethanol extracts showed inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase.

Olea europaea leaves are the major byproduct of olive farming. In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction of flavonoids from olive leaves was optimized using response surface methodology, and the flavonoid compounds and their antioxidant and anticancer activities were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the optimized conditions for achieving the maximum yield of flavonoids (74.95 mg RE/g dm) were 50 °C temperature, 270 W power, 50 min time, and 41 mL/g liquid-solid ratio. There was a significant difference in the total flavonoid content between the aged and young leaves harvested in April and July, and six main components were quantified. Among them, luteolin-4’-O-glucoside was the most predominant flavonoid compound, followed by apigenin-7-O-glucoside and rutin. Olive leaves also contained small amounts of luteolin, apigenin, and quercetin. Additionally, excellent antioxidant activity was exhibited when tested with the DPPH assay; superoxide radical-scavenging ability and reducing power was also tested. The anticancer activity of the flavonoids was assessed using HeLa cervical cancer cells, and it was observed that increasing concentrations of olive leaf flavonoids resulted in decreased cancer cell viability. These results suggest that the flavonoids from olive leaves could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidants for the pharmaceutical and food industries.